The Week's 10 Hottest Apple News Stories, December 28

Here it is, our last hot news story article of 2012 and we've got games games and more games rounded up for your delight, for your distraction, and for your family. Plus, some reviews as well. So what are you waiting for, here's your game action.

The Best Mac Games of 2012There's never been a better time to be a Mac gamer, and if you're looking to catch up on the year's best releases, we have 10 sizzling experiences ready to captivate until 2013's titles take hold.

11 Fun Sphero AppsBring your gaming into the real, non-digital world with Sphero. We charged up our little robotic orb and tested 11 Sphero-compatible apps. Go ahead, ask us if we had a ball. We did, and we think you will too.

Adobe Story Plus ReviewAdobe would like to be in on every part of the creative process and with Story Plus, they at long last take aim at the screenwriting process. But there's a catch: it's all in the cloud. This has its pluses and its (mostly mental) minuses.

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display ReviewAs soon as Apple rolled out the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display last summer, all the Mac addicts we know began clamoring for more Retina models, and this past fall Apple obliged, introducing a 13-inch version. Did we like it?

8 iOS Games to Play with Your FamilyWe've got your family fun here. Whether you prefer to roll with the classics or dive into newer gaming fare, there's plenty of variety and entertainment to go around in this killer list of games to play with your loved ones.

Sound Forge Pro Mac ReviewAudio editing applications come and go like the seasons. Sony has finally brought Sound Forge Pro to the Mac. But this first version has enough rough spots to give us some pause in considering it ready for prime time.

Karateka ReviewTelling the story of a nondescript karate guy out to save a princess from the clutches of an evil warlord (and his awful, awful pet hawk), Karateka essentially invented fighting games as we know them. Now it's arrived on iOS.

8 Apps for Surviving Holiday HellIs the time off and the visiting with your family crushing your soul? Well, then luckily we have some distractions in mind for you with these 8 games that offer you escape and release.

Pogo Connect Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Pen ReviewMost drawing apps have sliders to control things like brush size and opacity, but using just your finger or a regular stylus, it’s hard to feel you have total control. Ten One Design’s Pogo Connect Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Pen is a pressure-sensitive, but was it up to the job?